Process of printing advertising on rubber bands



prifi E4, 1936. H. G. MILLER 2,037,254

PROCESS OF PRINTING ADVERTISING ON RUBBER BANDS Filed Dec. 15, 1934 AD-BANDS AD-BANDS Patented Apr. 14, 1936 TAT ES PROCESS OF PRINTING ADVERTISING ON RUBBER BANDS Howard G. Miller, Baldwin, N. Y.

Application'December 15, 1934, Serial No. 757,647

Claims.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a method or process of printing and cutting elastic bands in one machine in which the bands are printed in the contracted or free position, and

5 in which said printing may be readily read when the band is expanded asit is used around a pack age or the like.

The invention is a process of printing and cutting elastic bands which comprises printing upon 30 the band with condensed type, or the like, with the band in'the free or contracted position, and then stretching said band so that advertising matter displayed thereon is decipherable when the band is stretched.

Rubber or elastic objects or devices have been printed heretofore, however, these articles or devices have first been stretched, and the printing has been placed thereon with the article in the stretched position, and as this process is substantially impossible with elastic bands, and also as it is necessary to print on rubber bands when used for advertising purposes at a very low cost, it is necessary to apply such printing or advertising on the band with the band in the free position, and therefore means have been devised for contracting the type or object from which the type or plate is formed, so that the tube or rubber from which the bands are made, may be printed in the contracted or condensed position, and

then stretched, and the advertising may be placed on the band in a condensed form, so that it is substantially impossible to decipher it until the band is stretched, as in use.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to

provide a process of printing and cutting elastic bands so that they may be printed in the contracted position, and so that advertising thereon is decipherable when the band is stretched or expanded.

Another object is to provide a process of printing in which the printing is not smeared or diffused by handling in the printing process.

A further object is to provide a process of printing rubber bands in which the bands may be efficiently printed to reduce the manufacturing cost thereof.

And a still further object is to provide a process of printing rubber bands which is relatively simple and inexpensive.

With these ends in View the invention embodies a process of printing upon rubber bands in which the bands, or the tube from which the bands are formed, is run thru a printing press or device and printed in the free or contracted position.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appearfrom the following description, taken in connection withthe drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing a rubber band with advertising thereon in the free or contracted posltion.

Figure 2 is a view showing the same band in the expanded position.

Figure 3 is a View showing type in the contracted position as it may be provided for printing upon the rubber bands or upon the material from which the-bands are formed.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing a printing roller and cutter in combination, in which a rubber tube may be printed by the roller and directly fed to the cutter, which may be synchronized with the printing of the roller in order to facilitate placing the advertising or printing exactly in the center of the band.

Figure 5 is a view showing a tube from which the elastic bands are cut with a portion thereof printed, and with several bands shown cut therefrom with the cut made midway between the printing matter.

In the drawing the process is illustrated in which numeral I indicates an elastic band, numeral 2 advertising upon the band, and numeral 3 type from which said advertising may be printed.

It will be understood that this invention relates particularly to the process of printing and cutting elastic bands by printing in the contracted or free position with condensed type, or the like, and any machine or process may be used for mounting or operating the type, and also for feeding the bands to and from the type, and the bands may be printed with ink or any material adapted to adhere to the surface of the band. Advertising may also be impressed in the band or provided by openings extending therethru.

It will, therefore, be understood that elastic bands, or the material from which they are cut, may be printed or impressed in the free or contracted position in any manner, or by any means which will permit advertising printed or impressed thereby to be decipherable when the band is expanded or stretched.

The process is shown in Figure 4, in which a printing roller is indicated by the numeral 4, a cutter by the numeral 5, feed rollers by the numeral 6, and a water tray or container by the numeral 1, and it will be understood that rubber tubing 8 may be fed to the ink roller 4, and from the ink roller down around a roller 9 in the water in the tray 1 and to the knife 5 automatically, and the operation of these devices may be synchronized, so that the rubber will be cut exactly midway between the printing, and the cut bands may be conveyed or fed from the knife by any means to drying racks or containers of any description. This machine may be of any type or design, may be operated by any means, and any number of machines may be used in combination. It is only desired to show the complete process of printing upon elastic bands or material from which the bands are cut, and cutting said material, or separating said bands, in substantially the same operation. Passing the rubber through the water and cutting the bands in this manner makes it possible to set the ink so that the printing on the bands will not smear.

The process of printing upon the elastic bands is accomplished by forming type, cuts or a die, with the letters or characters condensed, as shown in Figure 3, and this may be drawn condensed directly by hand, or printing may be placed upon rubber in the expanded position, and the rubber may then be contracted or placed in the free position, so that it may be photographed or reproduced directly upon a plate or die, and this used for printing.

It will be appreciated, therefore, that any means may be used for forming the type, plate or die, and any means may be used for printing upon the rubber, or band, or tube from which the band is formed, or for impressing advertising, or the like, thereon, with the rubber or band in the free or contracted position, so that when it is stretched, the advertising may readily be displayed,

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The process of printing rubber bands which comprises printing on the rubber tubes from which the bands are made before the bands are cut therefrom, and with the tube in the free or contracted position and fiat, wetting the tube after printing and cutting'the tube between the printing while wet, forming bands.

2. The process as described in claim 1 in which water is applied to the tubes after the printing operation and before the cutting operation.

3. The process as described in claim 1 in which the tubes are out while wet by water applied after the tubes are printed and before cutting.

4. The process as described in claim 1 in which the bands are printed by condensed forms to compensate for the stretch of the band.

5. The process of printing rubber bands which comprises providing condensed means for impressing the material from which the bands are formed, printing on the bands by said condensed means with the material in the free or contracted position and with the tubes flat, wetting said material, and cutting bands therefrom. 

